Ferrets As Pets With Cats

Whether they will fight depends on the temperaments of the cat and of the ferrets.

Ferrets as pets with cats. Having cats and ferrets isn t really much different than just having 4 pets of the same species in my experience. Dog foods on the other hand are best avoided since they don t really provide any nutritional benefits for ferrets. Ferrets are highly intelligent animals more so than rodents they possess around the same intelligence as a dog or cat. But with ferrets it s a different story.

Scientists believe that domesticated ferrets were bred from european polecats or steppe polecats over 2500 years ago making them members of the weasel family mustela genus. They also have lots of energy that needs to be spent on playtime daily. As a general rule ferrets don t mix well with other kinds of pets. It is often recommended though not essential to have more than one pet ferret.

You can t just assume that looking after a ferret will be the same as looking after a dog or a cat even though you might be told that ferret care is just like cat care. They are highly compatible with cats. Ferrets can also be fed with cat food. Ferrets should be spayed or neutered.

They actually get along very well for the most part. Otherwise they can be very destructive messing up litter trays food water and even chipping their teeth through constant biting of their cages. Ferrets are sociable friendly and affectionate. Ferrets prefer cats to any other kind of household pet apart from other ferrets.

Human snacks are something you should keep away from ferrets. Ferrets are carnivores and while your ferret may not consciously think of other small pets e g hamsters and other rodents rabbits birds small lizards snakes as a meal quick movements by these small animals may trigger a predator prey instinct in your ferret. Because cats and dogs are so common most animal lovers have a good idea of what s involved in their care. After having them all for years i ve been able to trust that they re all ok together unsupervised while i m in the house.

High quality ferret foods can be found in most pet shops. However it s best to stay away from fish flavoured ones since it causes litterbox odour problem. Animals with lineage related to ferrets include badgers minks and wolverines. Generally speaking ferrets and very young children do not mix well as ferrets have a tendency to bite if they are not handled gently.

Having two or more ferrets increases the fun factor for the owner and the ferrets as they will interact and play together sometimes with wild abandon.